ND Multi-Tier System of Supports

North Dakota’s Multi-Tier System of Supports (NDMTSS) is a framework to provide all students with the best opportunities to succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally in school.

NDMTSS focuses on providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals. Data are used to allocate resources to improve student learning and support staff implementation of effective practices.

For more in-depth information on NDMTSS, check out the NDMTSS website.

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ndmtss: north dakota muti tier system of supports

brandie ulland, professional learning specialist, contact at brandie.ulland@k12.nd.us

The Essential Components of MTSS

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Assessment

The process of collecting, reviewing, and using the information to make educational decisions about student learning.

Assessment is an important part of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) because it helps educators to identify the academic and behavioral needs of students, monitor their progress, and provide appropriate interventions. These practices help to inform instruction, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and determine the level of support needed for each student. Assessment data also helps to guide decision making and problem solving within MTSS teams.

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Data-Based Decision Making

Optimizes the use of data for purposes of informing individual student instruction, identifying strengths and weaknesses in a classroom, and illuminating trends and gaps across a school district.

Data-based decision making (DBDM) is an important part of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) because it helps educators to identify the academic and behavioral needs of students, monitor their progress, and provide appropriate interventions. Data-based decision making also helps to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and intervention, and to guide problem-solving and decision making within MTSS teams2.

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Multi-Tiered Instruction

A multi-tier approach is used to efficiently differentiate instruction for all students.

MTSS helps educators to provide high-quality, evidence-based, and differentiated instruction and intervention to all students, based on their academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs. By providing evidence-based supports at each Tier, educators can ensure that all students receive the appropriate level of challenge and support that matches their individual needs and strengths.

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Infrastructure & Support Mechanisms

Knowledge, resources, and organizational structures necessary to operationalize components of NDMTSS in a unified system to meet established goals.

Sound infrastructure and effective shared leadership are the foundation from which all the other essential elements are built. Without a strong infrastructure and effective shared leadership, it is not possible to design a strong, layered continuum of support, engage in sound data-based decision making, or support collaboration and communication.

*Adapted from Nebraska MTSS

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Fidelity & Evaluation

Fidelity and evaluation are interrelated and complementary processes that support the implementation of MTSS. 

Kids can’t benefit from ineffective practices done well nor can they benefit from effective practices done poorly. We need both.

Testimonials

"[Building Your Systems] clarified the MTSS process to me and it gave my team an action plan with which to start the process at our school." - Superintendent, Roosevelt Elementary (2018)

"We are a better school for having gone through this training. It has gone from 'my kids' to 'our kids' approach." - Administrator, Ellendale

"Because of this training we have implemented uniform pathways in math and reading for all students in grades 1-10 in ALL of our buildings!" - Participant, Jamestown

"Wayne is UNBELIEVABLE! He remembers grade levels and information about everything we have asked of him! I am amazed." - SPED/Title I Teacher (2018)

"Wayne helped us deliver the 'message' of MTSS to our HS staff, refined our plans for the upcoming school year and assess the strategies at the elementary school." - Administrator, Carrington High School

"We've made lots of positive changes in our middle school. Now, we can focus on beefing up our core instead of always trying to catch those intensive kids, because we know their needs are already being met. Yay!" - Teacher, Wahpeton

"The beauty of a training session such as this [Evaluating Your System] is the opportunity to plan with our team, uninterrupted. That's hard to do in the school building. I also like how Wayne has it set up - so we can actually accomplish something while here. This is SO good for us!" - Elementary Counselor, Central Cass (2018)

"We know that our support system has weaknesses. But [Building Your Systems] gave us a way to systematically approach the task of assessing where those weakness are exactly." - Counselor, Parshall High School (2018)

"This training transformed my job description... and I'm SO THANKFUL for that!" - SPED/Title I Teacher, Northern Cass

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